Simply Roasted Eggplant

Aren’t all of those eggplant beautiful? Yes, that’s six different varieties of heirloom eggplants you’re looking at above! Until recently, I had no idea that the veggie dressed itself in any other color than purple. Once I discovered that eggplant looks mighty fine in more than just one shade, I hired an eclectic group of them to model for my dinner the very next night.

I must say, I’ve got to give it to my CSA because they really hooked me. We’ve been swimming in summer produce over at the farm, so after work, I always take my usual grocery trip, cruising through the outdoor aisles of my farm. Recently, we’ve been harvesting an overload of eggplant, so of course, curious to try them all, I selected one of nearly every type.

It wasn’t even until recently that I even liked eggplant. Sure, I would’ve found all the different colors interesting, but it wouldn’t be something that’d make me want to fire up the oven on a 90-degree day. However, after this veggie recipe I created the other week, I’ve had a continuous craving for roasted eggplant. Seems as though my A/C might have to work a bit harder these next couple of weeks.

Feeling like a kid in a candy store, I wanted to try all the eggplant I took home. So naturally that’s what I did. I sliced them up and baked them all in one batch, tasting each of

the six varieties, and probably consuming 3 or 4 whole eggplant by myself just in one evening. It was truly eggplant heaven.

I decided on a simple roast because I wanted to see if I could detect the subtleties that lay between the different varieties. There were definitely nuances in flavor, but you’d never be able to tell if you had each on its own. The white variety was the most distinguishable, as it contained the highest sweetness of them all, and also seemed as though it might’ve turned out a bit softer. Each variety was certainly delicious, and the colors were beautiful to work with nonetheless.

Standard eggplant can certainly be substituted in the recipe below. Whether you have a variety of types or not, sometimes simple is the way to go with veggies. This one really lets the caramelized flavor of the garlic shine, alongside the melty consistency of the eggplant. Eat as is, or serve warm on a quality slice of bread.

Preheat oven 500F. Line large baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with oil.

Instructions

Lightly brush each side of the eggplant rounds with oil. Chop each garlic clove into 2-3 pieces, depending upon the size of the cloves. Press garlic pieces into the flesh of the eggplant slices, so that the garlic is mostly embedded into the eggplant.

Place in oven, and bake 15-20 minutes, until eggplant are tender and beginning to brown. Remove from oven, and immediately sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.

Minus the garlic, this sounds wonderful! I didn’t always think I could eat eggplant, but lately I’ve been slipping it into my diet just to test my body and see if I get bloated…so far, so good!! I am such a huge eggplant fan. Like you, I’ve never seen it in any other color….or at least I hadn’t before. They are so pretty!!

[…] Indian dishes — Eggplant and Potato Curry. It’s another one of my top picks for how to use eggplant, transforming the purple nightshade into a creamy and fragrant sensation. The curry powder provides […]

[…] and cheese lol. I find it can get really stringy. I followed this recipe with regular eggplants: http://foodfitnessfreshair.com/2011/…sted-eggplant/ I cooked mine a bit longer, cut it a little thinner that the pictures. It came out delicious and […]

Rae

October 18, 2012 at 5:29 pm

Grace, thanks for the great photos. We have the purple striped eggplant and can never find any info about it. I have used it to make a eggplant/mushroom/tomato pasta sauce that’s really good, but I’m going to try this with all the garlic. Sounds fabulous!